Michelle says she admires the way her husband lives both his political aspirations and his family life. Although Michelle says she sometimes feels like a single parent, she accepts that time apart has "always sort of been the nature of the beast."

"It's not just the time, but it's the intent. It's what he does and how he reflects the importance of our relationship when he is there," Michelle says.

Michelle says she feels like family isn't a compromise we should make in politics. "In my view...I want the next president to be someone who understands what it means to be a father and a husband and is contributing. Because I don't think he can represent those values for us as a nation if he can't do it in his own house," Michelle says. "Whoever [the president] may be."